WESTPORT TO WELCOME FIRST CELTIC CAMINO FESTIVAL

The first Celtic Camino Festival, which aims to promote pilgrim walks in Mayo – on the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail and on Tochar Padraig – will take place in Westport, from 13-15 April.

The three-day ‘Bringing the Camino to Mayo’ Festival will be run by Camino Society Ireland – a voluntary non-profit and non-denominational organisation, who will provide information to people planning to walk on the Camino de Santiago and on Celtic Caminos in Ireland.

The Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest walking routes in the world, leading to the tomb of St James in Santiago de Compostela.

The New ‘Celtic Camino’ links Ireland’s ancient pilgrim routes with the existing Camino in Spain, providing Irish and International pilgrims with the opportunity to do part of their Camino in Ireland.

The organisers expect 500 people to attend their first festival, and according to director Jim McNicholas, “while the vast majority of attendees are local, we do have visitors from, the US, UK, Canada, Spain, Hungary and Japan, already registered to attend”.